variants
also cagy
1
as in slick
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means
a cagey old politician who is exceptionally skilled at getting federal money for his district
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
when it came time to sign the contract, he suddenly got cagey about taking on the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cagey
And even in recent interviews given to promote the residency’s resumption, other band members were cagey about exactly what went down, before Neil himself let the cat out of the bag.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025
The duo’s fingerprints were all over four great Argentina openings in a cagey game.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
As of late, Nintendo has also been somewhat cagey about things like voice actors and the specific studios developing its games.
—Jay Peters, The Verge, 17 Jan. 2025
This wry, lovelorn plaint is a cagey display of subtle dynamics and counterpoint on a lone electric guitar.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2025
The duo’s fingerprints were all over four great Argentina openings in a cagey game.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
As of late, Nintendo has also been somewhat cagey about things like voice actors and the specific studios developing its games.
—Jay Peters, The Verge, 17 Jan. 2025
This wry, lovelorn plaint is a cagey display of subtle dynamics and counterpoint on a lone electric guitar.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cagey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cagey
Adjective
-
The very slick looking TK-02 from Terra Kaffe is $300 off as well.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
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The 29-year-old threw some slick passes, particularly a transition assist to Lively in the second quarter.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Adams seems hesitant to take too much credit for Dallas’ run-game turnaround.—
Jon Machota,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Tracking the cons Victims of scams tend to be hesitant to come forward because of the shame that comes with being taken for a ride.—
Katherine Laidlaw,
HubSpot,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Norris portrays the cunning and relentless Chief Dennison, with Tripp as Liz Bradley, a border patrol agent with a true-north moral compass, in her first major film role.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Oct. 2025
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Maigret must outwit some of Paris’s most cunning and violent criminals, while dealing with his own troubled past.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The project’s prestigious pedigree allowed the producers to be strategic about which partners to invite, rather than having to convince reluctant financiers.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
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But states may remain reluctant to offer the expensive drugs for obesity, because Medicaid recipients frequently churn on and off the coverage as their income changes.—
Phil Galewitz,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There are also two new delightfully cute additions to the collection — a shiny gold pair that would look radiant on warm-tone complexions and a pair that’s as stylishly macabre as the others, only smaller in size.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
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The songs remind kids that costumes can be cute and colorful instead of frightening.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In between, they were beaten by a dubious penalty away to Galatasaray.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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Slowing down and speeding up Daisy arrived in his life through his ex-wife, who was moving to a new place that was dubious about pets.—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Brewers do not have a lefty starter with that sort of ability, although the wily veteran Quintana should play a role in the team’s plans.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Fellow comedy legend Carl Reiner, who played the wily Saul Bloom in all three Ocean's movies, died in June 2020 at age 98 from natural causes, leaving behind a career that netted him 11 Emmy Awards, a Grammy, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
New York felt comfortable enough to pick up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, but keeping him around in the long term with Abdul Carter and Brian Burns probably isn’t the shrewdest.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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The film had transformed from the messy, illogical version I’d first seen into a hilarious, shrewd, contemplative work of art.—
Susan Orlean,
New Yorker,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cagey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cagey. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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